Come On In!
Open houses are one of my favorite things about my profession in real estate. I love meeting the people, hearing their stories, discovering their needs and often, making new friends. The most fun thing about them, though, is how unpredictable they are. Let me take you through a relatively normal open house.
I usually arrive at least twenty minutes early to set up the home. I turn all the lights on, put all the toilet seats down, open up the shades or curtains to let the sunshine in and set up the brochures. If there is whole house sound system, I make sure it's on. If not, I bring my Dell sound bar. With Norah Jones crooning At Last, I set my Open House signs up in the front yard, the red flag signalling K.Farish (it's red) is in the house!
Typically, there is at least one couple there ready to take the tour as soon as the door opens. They've seen the home online and can't wait to get in to walk around. They are the shoppers who have already determined what the price of the home should be...and it's never the list price. "You know the Zestimate on this home is $50,000 lower than this. We are only approved for just so much." (Probably $50,000 lower than the list price.)
"I have comparables I'd be happy to show you," I say, smiling. "And...Zillow is highly inaccurate."
Now, if this is a thing you don't know as a buyer or seller, you should. By there own admission, Zestimates are typically off by at least 8% and can go as high as 20% in some areas. As the expert in the area, and as the one who worked closely with the home owners to come up with a fair market value for the home, it is somewhat irritating to have this conversation with the buyers who are looking at homes $50,000-100,000 more than they qualify for in the hopes Zillow will intimidate.
This couple has no interest in the comps. They are looking around. Finally, "We like the home okay, but it's just got some things we'd have to change." They take off the booties and leave. Usually, though, I've taken their information in order to help them find a home in their price range that they love.
Next up is the couple with the German shepherd on a leash. It's warm out and slobber slips from his open mouth like it's flowing from Niagara Falls. They begin to walk into the 2 million dollar listing with white carpet in the master and wire brushed white oak throughout the downstairs. "Um," I begin. "Because this home has so many amenities, including new flooring, I'm sure the homeowners would appreciate it if you could leave your beautiful dog outside."
Too quick the wife responds: "It's an emotional support dog." And tries to push me aside so she can walk on in.
"I appreciate that, Ma'am," I say. "And he looks so kind and gentle. Could you and your husband possibly take turns looking at the home while the other looks after your pet?"
Responses on this comment of mine vary greatly. The most common, though, is a reticent and snarky, "Okay." With smaller dogs, buyers are very happy to carry the dog through the house. And that works. I know people love their pets. They are like family. My job at the open house, though, is to protect the seller's home from damage. I find most people adjust because they understand.
Enter a mother with her three boys. No husband. He's working or something. She's chatty. Lets the boys wander. Fortunately, on the day I'm thinking about with this particular family, I'd asked another realtor to help with the open house. It was a very large, expensive home and I wanted to make sure a realtor was available upstairs and downstairs. It wasn't too long before the mom and I heard wild screaming from the upstairs. The realtor manning it was trying to be heard over the noise the boys were making as they jumped up and down on the beds! "You will need to go get your sons, please," I said to the mother as I gently led her toward the spiral staircase. I was admittedly irate. Sheesh...Unfortunately, the boys were displeased with the notion of stopping their acrobatics just because their momma said. Loud crying, stomping down lovely cherrywood stairs, screaming at the mom, telling her they didn't have to do what she said.
"Maybe you could return on a day when the kids are in school," I suggested as I led her toward the door then opened it for her. The woman had to drag her kids out and they were still screaming as she drove away.
Some buyers come in large groups...ten to fifteen at a time, swarming through the home, trying out the sofas or relaxing on the backyard furniture to get the vibe of the home. Usually these are family groups...usually very interesting. It's hard to always decipher who the decision maker is in these families as they all seem to have a say in which home to purchase. It always feels festive when they appear, though. Like a party.
A couple pretty much always comes around who absolutely believe they know way more about the current market than I do. They want to discuss Trump and the stock market, what the interest rates will certainly do in the next few months, why now isn't a good time to purchase a home, or why they would never pay this for a home because the bubble is for sure going to burst, then where would they be? As a rule, but not always, when I speak with them about working with them to purchase a home, they want a deal. Something off market. Something fully upgraded in the best neighborhood that a seller wants to sell way low (for no particular reason). Maybe a pocket listing, sellers I know who want to sell but don't want to be listed quite yet. Or a short sale. Or a bank owned home. There are a few short sales once in a while right now...a smattering of bank owned, but this market has few deals of the kind these buyers feel they'd like. It's a seller's market in the moment with multiple offers common in the under one million price range. I work with these buyers if they are willing to give me their information, but it's a tough time to find them the kind of deal I know they want.
Neighbors might just be my favorite open house guests. I love knowing about the neighborhood from people who've often lived in communities since they were first built. Sometimes they are interested in talking with me about listing their homes, too. My most interesting neighbor recently, though, was a man who came in while another realtor was showing the home to her client. The man, probably in his mid-seventies, had lived close by for years. I spoke with him about his home, was he interested in selling. Small talk, really. I had engaged at length with the realtor and her client, who loved the home, as the gentleman hung back near the front door. He followed the realtor and client out, talking with them about my listing, but standing with them near their car for so long, I went out to see what was up. What was up was...he was trying to get the realtor to bring her client to his home so he could sell it to her. Unlisted...just poaching open houses. You have to laugh.
Bottom Line: Real estate is as much about public relations as it is about sales. You never know who might walk into an open house ready to purchase...well...you never know who might walk into an open house period. It's important for real estate professionals to be aware of protecting the home their clients have entrusted to them for an afternoon as well as protecting their own branding. Diplomacy is key. I'm always working on that.
I usually arrive at least twenty minutes early to set up the home. I turn all the lights on, put all the toilet seats down, open up the shades or curtains to let the sunshine in and set up the brochures. If there is whole house sound system, I make sure it's on. If not, I bring my Dell sound bar. With Norah Jones crooning At Last, I set my Open House signs up in the front yard, the red flag signalling K.Farish (it's red) is in the house!
Typically, there is at least one couple there ready to take the tour as soon as the door opens. They've seen the home online and can't wait to get in to walk around. They are the shoppers who have already determined what the price of the home should be...and it's never the list price. "You know the Zestimate on this home is $50,000 lower than this. We are only approved for just so much." (Probably $50,000 lower than the list price.)
"I have comparables I'd be happy to show you," I say, smiling. "And...Zillow is highly inaccurate."
Now, if this is a thing you don't know as a buyer or seller, you should. By there own admission, Zestimates are typically off by at least 8% and can go as high as 20% in some areas. As the expert in the area, and as the one who worked closely with the home owners to come up with a fair market value for the home, it is somewhat irritating to have this conversation with the buyers who are looking at homes $50,000-100,000 more than they qualify for in the hopes Zillow will intimidate.
This couple has no interest in the comps. They are looking around. Finally, "We like the home okay, but it's just got some things we'd have to change." They take off the booties and leave. Usually, though, I've taken their information in order to help them find a home in their price range that they love.
Next up is the couple with the German shepherd on a leash. It's warm out and slobber slips from his open mouth like it's flowing from Niagara Falls. They begin to walk into the 2 million dollar listing with white carpet in the master and wire brushed white oak throughout the downstairs. "Um," I begin. "Because this home has so many amenities, including new flooring, I'm sure the homeowners would appreciate it if you could leave your beautiful dog outside."
Too quick the wife responds: "It's an emotional support dog." And tries to push me aside so she can walk on in.
"I appreciate that, Ma'am," I say. "And he looks so kind and gentle. Could you and your husband possibly take turns looking at the home while the other looks after your pet?"
Responses on this comment of mine vary greatly. The most common, though, is a reticent and snarky, "Okay." With smaller dogs, buyers are very happy to carry the dog through the house. And that works. I know people love their pets. They are like family. My job at the open house, though, is to protect the seller's home from damage. I find most people adjust because they understand.
Enter a mother with her three boys. No husband. He's working or something. She's chatty. Lets the boys wander. Fortunately, on the day I'm thinking about with this particular family, I'd asked another realtor to help with the open house. It was a very large, expensive home and I wanted to make sure a realtor was available upstairs and downstairs. It wasn't too long before the mom and I heard wild screaming from the upstairs. The realtor manning it was trying to be heard over the noise the boys were making as they jumped up and down on the beds! "You will need to go get your sons, please," I said to the mother as I gently led her toward the spiral staircase. I was admittedly irate. Sheesh...Unfortunately, the boys were displeased with the notion of stopping their acrobatics just because their momma said. Loud crying, stomping down lovely cherrywood stairs, screaming at the mom, telling her they didn't have to do what she said.
"Maybe you could return on a day when the kids are in school," I suggested as I led her toward the door then opened it for her. The woman had to drag her kids out and they were still screaming as she drove away.
Some buyers come in large groups...ten to fifteen at a time, swarming through the home, trying out the sofas or relaxing on the backyard furniture to get the vibe of the home. Usually these are family groups...usually very interesting. It's hard to always decipher who the decision maker is in these families as they all seem to have a say in which home to purchase. It always feels festive when they appear, though. Like a party.
A couple pretty much always comes around who absolutely believe they know way more about the current market than I do. They want to discuss Trump and the stock market, what the interest rates will certainly do in the next few months, why now isn't a good time to purchase a home, or why they would never pay this for a home because the bubble is for sure going to burst, then where would they be? As a rule, but not always, when I speak with them about working with them to purchase a home, they want a deal. Something off market. Something fully upgraded in the best neighborhood that a seller wants to sell way low (for no particular reason). Maybe a pocket listing, sellers I know who want to sell but don't want to be listed quite yet. Or a short sale. Or a bank owned home. There are a few short sales once in a while right now...a smattering of bank owned, but this market has few deals of the kind these buyers feel they'd like. It's a seller's market in the moment with multiple offers common in the under one million price range. I work with these buyers if they are willing to give me their information, but it's a tough time to find them the kind of deal I know they want.
Neighbors might just be my favorite open house guests. I love knowing about the neighborhood from people who've often lived in communities since they were first built. Sometimes they are interested in talking with me about listing their homes, too. My most interesting neighbor recently, though, was a man who came in while another realtor was showing the home to her client. The man, probably in his mid-seventies, had lived close by for years. I spoke with him about his home, was he interested in selling. Small talk, really. I had engaged at length with the realtor and her client, who loved the home, as the gentleman hung back near the front door. He followed the realtor and client out, talking with them about my listing, but standing with them near their car for so long, I went out to see what was up. What was up was...he was trying to get the realtor to bring her client to his home so he could sell it to her. Unlisted...just poaching open houses. You have to laugh.
Bottom Line: Real estate is as much about public relations as it is about sales. You never know who might walk into an open house ready to purchase...well...you never know who might walk into an open house period. It's important for real estate professionals to be aware of protecting the home their clients have entrusted to them for an afternoon as well as protecting their own branding. Diplomacy is key. I'm always working on that.
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